here are 13 moments from 2013 that stand out:
saying goodbye to his school and his friends. leaving the safety of this wonderful place for the bigger adventures. taking with him confidence and self esteem. it was a bittersweet moment for all of us.
going from a class of 27 to a class of 320. from a school of 2 hundred to a school of 12 hundred. finding his way with more independence and responsibility. being a part of the band and the water polo team. making new friends along the way. experiencing high school life and all that comes with it. it was a change for all of us.
we worked for many months to put together a weekend for our family. there was time for games, food, laughter, and getting to know each other. it was a great time with our family.
it was a roller coaster for him. he started the season with confidence and then lost his mojo. he went to every practice and took the game seriously. he tried so hard but just lacked the belief that he could do it. and when he had it, he would smack the ball and made an amazing catch in the outfield. he is a star in our eyes.
the training was the hardest i had pushed myself in a long time. it was a busy time but i made the effort and sacrifice to train, eat right and take care of myself. the satisfaction that comes from all of that hard work is indescribable and it motivates me to work even harder.
which i can't share enough. it means we had adventure and fun. it means we were outside of our home and our comfort zone. it means togetherness and love. it means excitement and growth. i love this photo.
it was exciting for all of us to have bobby producing his first movie. but it was one of the biggest challenges of his career. he was in charge of the budget, the script, the crew and cast, the schedule. he was stressed but was on an adventure that he will never forget. he still talks about the beautiful sky, the great friendships he made and all that he learned. can't wait to see it on the big screen.
while bobby was away i had to deal with the house, the kids, 2 schools, 4 schedules and all kinds of emotions. it was a tough time for all of us. if it wasn't for the help of so many family and friends, i'm not sure i would have made it through without going mad. it was a learning experience for me as well; constantly reminding myself that i can do this and we will be ok. and i did it and we were better than ok.
this year i noticed she had grown into a big girl. maybe it was the growth spurt and the change in her face. maybe it was her attitude; she seems more like a teenager than an 8 year old. she has so many friends and is a good student. but i think it's seeing the sunshine radiate from her soul.
spending the weekend with four women who inspire me and make me laugh. we had great food, relaxed by the pool, went dancing, and did some shopping. it's important to me to take a little time away from my everyday life. to focus on me and being a friend, sister and woman. it reenergizes me and motivates me. what more could i ask for? only that we do it again.
it took planning and tending to. we watched it grow everyday and then reaped the benefits. it produced in abundance and we enjoyed every bite.
i hate to bring bring up something so negative but this made a huge impact on us. 2 weeks ago our home was burglarized. it happened in the morning while i was at school celebrating the holidays with the kids. they came in took our computers, xbox, some of our christmas gifts and our feeling of safety. i came home and discovered what had happened and wept. it was devastating and invasive and it angered us. we know the material can be replaced, but the feeling of our home being sacred and welcoming was temporarily ruined. we're working our way back to normal. we replaced the stolen gifts and the xbox right away. it looks like i'm getting a new laptop (i'm currently using bobby's computer which was safely with him at work) and we are organizing our neighborhood so we keep watch of each other. but this one hurt and will have an impact for a long time. we hope to turn it into a positive impact.
jordan and i ended the year on a trip to phoenix for the fiesta bowl parade with the notre dame band. so many stories to share. traveling with 120 high school students was a challenge. but we had a great time and got to be a part of something so special. thankful to have been a part of the trip.
i look forward to the moments that will make 2014 special. happy new year!
